Endless Nights (7 page)

Chapter Seven

The moment the plane touched down, Andrea shut off airplane mode on her phone, staring at the screen as if something would magically appear.

Like a text message from Luke.

Her friends were no better. Both Natalie and Reagan were checking their phones as casual as they could be, along with everyone else on the crowded plane. Andrea looked at her message and the accompanying photo from James for about the hundredth time, staring at the photo of her and Luke at Friday night’s party. He looked so good. She was so thankful for that photo because she didn’t have one of them together from the night she first met him.

“Nothing,” Natalie said, sounding incredibly sad as she dropped her phone back into her purse, which was sitting on the floor under the seat in front of her. “I lied when I told him I just wanted a weekend of fun. I want more.”

Andrea could totally relate. She hadn’t said she wanted more either, despite how earnest Luke had been in trying to convince her to stay with him just one more night. He didn’t mean for it to go beyond the hot sex, she knew this. So yes, they were very compatible in that department. Extremely compatible.

Beyond compatible.

But that was it. That was all it could be.

“He has your number, right?” Reagan asked Natalie.

Natalie nodded, staring at her purse like her phone could pop out of it and leap into her hands, ringing with a call from Noah Wilde. “He won’t call, though. I know it.”

Andrea still couldn’t get over how her friends had ended up with men just as famous as she did. Well, she’d known something was up between Reagan and Declan Carter when she saw them together at the party Friday night. But Natalie and Noah Wilde? That blew her mind. She loved Wilde & Wicked’s music. They were one of her favorite bands.

And sweet little Natalie had
sex
with crazy Noah Wilde. Unbelievable.

Her phone buzzed in her hand and she startled, flipping it over so she could slide her finger across the screen and see who it was from. A photo appeared…one of her and Luke.

In bed.

A gasp escaped her and she studied the photo, her heart beating wildly. It wasn’t anything inappropriate and she barely remembered taking it, but she had. With Luke. A selfie while they lay in bed, Luke holding his phone above them, Andrea’s head wedged between his neck and shoulder. She looked happy.

So did he.

I like this photo a lot
, his message read.

I do too.

Natalie glanced over Andrea’s shoulder, her eyes going wide. “Are you two naked?”

“Sshh.” Andrea glanced around, making sure no one paid them any attention. “Say it a little louder. I think the people in the back couldn’t hear you.”

Reagan laughed and wiggled her fingers at her. “Let me see.”

Andrea reluctantly handed her phone over to Reagan so she could look at the photo, antsy to get it back. She wanted to see what Luke said in reply.

“Oh wow, you two look adorable.” Reagan handed the phone back to her, a secretive smile on her lips. “He sent you another message.”

Andrea glanced at the screen.

I miss you.

Her heart cracked wide open as she hurriedly typed her reply.

I miss you too.

You need to come see me in Seattle.

She blinked, shocked at his words. Was he serious? No way could he be serious.

Her phone buzzed again with another Luke text.

I’m serious.

Andrea started to laugh. Could he read her mind or what? And like she could get away. It wasn’t that easy for her.

I work a lot. Like, all the time.

“Are you texting Luke?” Natalie asked.

Andrea shrugged, never tearing her gaze from her phone screen.

Don’t you get at least two days off a week? We can do a lot in two days.

She bit her lip, contemplating what to say next. He was taking this fling to the next level and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to. Not because she didn’t like Luke—more like because she liked him
too
much. She was trying to protect herself. Big-time professional football players got whatever they wanted, she was sure. Did he think he could snap his fingers and she’d come running?

Her phone buzzed again, and she swore her heart leapt into her throat at what she read.

I’m probably moving too fast and scaring you. This is crazy, right? But I can’t stop thinking about you. I keep staring at that photo, remembering what you felt like in my arms. Remembering how you taste. The sound of your laughter, the feel of your hands in my hair and the way you look when you come. I want more, baby.

Oh. My. God.
Her entire body was on fire, remembering everything they’d experienced in such a short amount of time. She was a complete slut. There were a couple of guys from her past where she’d moved too fast, only to be disappointed. She knew better than to do this sort of thing. Moving slow had become her new mantra. Sort of.

Okay, not really.

She’d given in so easily to Luke and she should be filled with regret.

Instead, she was filled with hope.

I want you to come be with me. Just for a few days. I’ll fly you up.

A little shuddering sigh escaped her as another message buzzed through.

I want to see if we can make this work.

Two weeks later…

A little over three hours on a plane was a long time to think about stuff. To worry. To be filled with regret. To be nervous. Scared. Excited. Aroused.

Andrea went through all of those emotions and more on her flight from LAX to Sea-Tac. That first jolt when the airplane landed, she squeezed the armrest of her chair, keeping her gaze fixed straight ahead, a fish out of water sitting in the first class section of the airplane. A splurge she could’ve never afforded, yet Luke paid for that seat like it was no big deal.

It felt like a big deal to her. The entire weekend that awaited her was a huge deal. She was coming to Seattle to spend the next two and a half days with Luke Nelson. She’d arranged her schedule so she could have three days off. Part of her time was eaten up by traveling, but overall she had approximately fifty-six hours to spend with Luke.

And she was determined to enjoy every single one of them.

A major bonus when you sit in first class? You’re one of the first to depart the plane. Even better, she’d brought only a carry-on, so she had no checked luggage to pick up either. Luke said he would be waiting for her in the parking lot when she arrived but if she could text him when she touched down, he’d make sure he’d be there for her.

Where, she wasn’t sure. She sent him a text the moment the plane landed and he’d answered with a simple,
See you in a few.

Nothing since. Which made her nervous. And excited.

What exactly could he have planned?

Andrea knew her friends were jealous over this trip to Seattle to see Luke. Declan was off shooting a movie and unable to see Reagan, which she claimed to understand, but Andrea wasn’t so sure. Natalie hadn’t heard from Noah Wilde beyond a couple of phone calls at weird times of the night since he was back in London. Natalie played it cool, but Andrea could hear the disappointment in her friend’s voice.

She was lucky. Her Vegas fling wanted to see her. Yeah, Declan had made promises to Reagan, but would he keep them? And who knew what was going on with Noah and Natalie…

Seattle’s airport was huge. Or at least it felt gigantic since she was so eager to see Luke. It seemed she kept walking and walking, dragging her small rolling suitcase behind her, dodging the harried travelers rushing around her. She saw through the giant wall of windows that it was cloudy outside, not that she was surprised. Considering where she was from, the cooler weather would be a much-wanted break.

After taking the escalator that led to baggage claim and various exits, she glanced around, pulling out her phone so she could text Luke. She had no idea where he was, where he might be waiting for her. Was he in the call area? Maybe circling the front, hoping she’d magically appear? She should just call him but she was sort of scared of hearing his voice purring so closely in her ear. Why, she wasn’t sure.

Oh, you know exactly why. You’re afraid your knees will buckle and you’ll collapse to the floor. Or worse, your panties will dissolve…

“Andrea.”

She whirled around…and there he was. Tall. Broad. Casually dressed in a navy blue T-shirt and jeans, a smile on his face, his dark eyes sparkling. Oh, he looked amazing. She could hardly believe he was standing there in front of her.

“Hi.” She hiked her purse strap over her shoulder, clinging to it like a lifeline. What should she do? What should she say? Did she have permission to throw herself at him like a lovesick girlfriend or was she supposed to act cool and composed?

“Come here.” He grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her into him, giving her a lingering kiss. Then another one. His lips were warm and damp and when he pulled away, releasing her slowly, he looked about as dazed as she felt. “We need to get the fuck out of here, and quick. You have luggage to pick up?”

She shook her head, stepping aside to display her suitcase. “This is all I brought.” Why did they need to leave so quickly? She didn’t understand.

His smile grew and he rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. “Then let’s go.”

Luke took her suitcase for her despite her protests, grabbing her hand with his free one as he escorted her out of the airport. He kept his head slightly bent, as if he didn’t want people to recognize him, and she followed his lead, glancing around as discreetly as possible to see if anyone recognized him.

If they did, they gave him his privacy, and she was thankful for it. He seemed extra determined to leave unnoticed, practically dragging her outside toward a giant parking structure. They took an elevator up five floors, the interior of it freezing cold, and he slung his arm around her shoulder and held her close, his mouth at her forehead as he whispered to her.

“I missed you.”

She rested her hand on his stomach, noting the way the muscles tensed up at her light touch. “I missed you too,” she admitted. Damn it. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t make any sort of confession like that and there she went, not even five minutes into the visit.

“You hungry?”

“No.”

“Thirsty?” He pulled away from her when the elevator came to a stop, his hand falling to her lower back as he escorted her out into the garage.

“Um, no.” What was up with the weird questions?

“Good. We’ll go straight to my place then.” The look he shot her was full of heat, his gaze running over her quickly, and she shivered as if he’d actually touched her. “You are a sight for sore eyes, I hope you know.”

That saying had never made much sense to her, but that didn’t matter at the moment because he’d missed her. Looked at her as if he wanted to gobble her up, which she was a big fan of because the man had a very talented mouth. And hands.

Hands that could catch footballs, sure, but they were also magic hands that had her trembling and falling apart rather quickly…

“Here’s my truck.” He stopped at a gleaming brand-new blue Toyota pickup and unlocked the doors with a keyless remote, going to the passenger side to open the door for her. She hopped into the truck with his assistance, turning to look at him and say thank you, but he cut her off with his lips, kissing her so fiercely she had no choice but to lean back against the seat.

She grabbed hold of the back of his neck, her mouth opening to his, letting his tongue slide inside. A groan escaped her and she tunneled her fingers into his soft hair, gasping when his big warm hand maneuvered beneath her shirt and settled on her stomach.

“We keep this up, I’ll be fucking you in the parking garage—I don’t give a damn who sees us,” he said when he finally tore his lips from hers.

Exhaling a shuddery breath, she released her hold on him. That sounded perfect, which was totally crazy. She couldn’t allow him to do any such thing to her in a public parking garage. “Take me to your place,” she murmured, making him smile.

“Will do, baby.” He shut the door and rounded the back of the truck, opening his door so he could slip her suitcase on the bench seat behind them before he hopped into the driver’s seat. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

She smiled. “I can’t believe it either.”

“I’m glad, though.” His deep voice washed over her, making her shiver, and she watched as he settled his big hand on her knee and gave it a squeeze. “Fucking ecstatic, if you want me to be honest.”

Andrea laughed, loving his honesty. Probably way too much. “Me too.”

Luke really couldn’t believe Andrea was here with him in Seattle. She looked beautiful, a little apprehensive, a lot excited. Her hair was down, soft and wavy, and he wanted to touch it. Bury his hands in it. She wore dark-rinsed jeans that clung to her long, slender legs, and an oversized black T-shirt with a neckline that kept sloping off one shoulder, revealing the thin black strap of her bra.

That drove him fucking crazy. And by the looks of it, she was wearing the bra he bought her when they were in Vegas. The very bra she wore when he fucked her with his fingers in the dressing room and made her come with his hand locked over her mouth.

He’d replayed that moment way too many times over the last two weeks since he was with her. He’d jerked off to that memory, not that he’d ever admit it to her. But damn, she’d been hot. So responsive. Excited and worried and scared and aroused, all at once. Talk about a rush.

Hell, having her in his truck at this very minute was a complete rush. For the next twenty-four hours, he planned on doing nothing else but spending naked time with Andrea. For the twenty-four hours after that, he needed to find a way to tell her that he wanted more than just an occasional hookup with her. Even more than a long-distance relationship, though that was what he’d settle for. Temporarily. Truthfully? He wanted more.

He wanted it all and he wanted it with Andrea.